Military Forces of the Commonwealth Regulations (Amendment)

STATUTORY RULES.

1914. No. 98.

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REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903-1912.

Regulations for the Military Forces of the Commonwealth—Regulations 129, 142a, 165, 180,  284, 516,  518 and 562—Amendments.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1912 to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this thirtieth day of July, One thousand nine hundred and fourteen.

R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

E. D. MILLEN.

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REGULATIONS FOR THE MILITARY FORCES OF THE COMMONWEALTH.

Amendments.

Regulation 129, which reads as follows:—

“129. Service upon the Unattached List will count towards honorary rank. Officers who have been on the Unattached List more than two consecutive years without either attending a School of Instruction, or being employed for at least four days at a Camp of Training, will be transferred to the Reserve of Officers, except Officers of the Australian Army Medical Corps, and those officers whose civil avocations qualify them for the position they are allotted to in the scheme of defence.”

is cancelled, and the following substituted therefor:—

“Service upon the Unattached List will count towards honorary rank. Officers who have been on the Unattached List more than two consecutive years without either attending a School of Instruction, or being employed for at least four days at a Camp of Training, will be transferred to the Reserve of Officers, except Officers at the Unattached List serving as Officers in Cadet Corps, Officers or the Australian Army Medical Corps, and those officers whose civil avocations qualify them for the position they are allotted to in the scheme of defence.”

Regulation 142a, which reads as follows:—

“142. Appointment and Promotion to paid non-commissioned ranks in the Royal Australian Field Artillery, Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, and Royal Australian Engineers, will be made by the Adjutant-General on the recommendation, in the case of the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, of the Officer Commanding, and in the case of the Royal Australian Field Artillery and the Royal Australian Engineers, of the Chief of Ordnance.

In the other arms of the Permanent Forces, district Commandants and Commanding Officers are empowered to appoint non-commissioned officers below the rank of Sergeant; promotion to and above the rank of Sergeant will be made by the Adjutant-General.”

is cancelled, and the following substituted therefore:—

“142a. Appointment and Promotion to paid acting and paid non-commissioned ranks in the Royal Australian Field Artillery, Royal Australian Garrison Artillery. Royal Australian Engineers, and Army Medical Corps (Permanent Services) will be made by the Adjutant-General on the recommendation, in the case of the Royal Australian Field Artillery and the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, of the Officers Commanding, in the case of the Royal Australian Engineers, of the Chief of Ordnance, and in the case of the Army Medical Carps (Permanent Services) of the Director-General of Medical Services.

In the other arms of the Permanent Forces, District Commandants and Commanding Officers are empowered to appoint non-commissioned officers below the rank of Sergeant; promotion to and above the rank of Sergeant will be made by the Adjutant-General.”

Enlistment.

Regulation 165.

Under Heading “Permanent”:—

For—

“Royal Australian Artillery”

Read—

“Royal Australian Garrison Artillery,” and insert the following: —

Royal Australian Field Artillery.

Re-enlistment.

Regulation 180, which reads as follows:—

“Any soldier of the Military Forces within three months of the completion of the period of service for which he was enlisted may, subject to the approval of the Commanding Officer, be re-enlisted for a period of:—

(a) Three years in the Permanent Forces,

(b) Three years in the Militia Forces;

(c) One or two years in the Volunteer Forces;

and in the case of the Permanent and Militia Forces, provided that he is still medically fit.

Commanding Officer, in the case, of the Militia and Volunteer Farces, shall mean the Officer Commanding a squadron, battery, or company.”

is amended to read as follows:—

“Any soldier of the Military Forces within three months of the completion of the period of service for which he was enlisted may, subject to the approval of the Commanding Officer, be re-enlisted for a period of:—

(a) Three years in the Permanent Forces;

(b) Three years in the Militia Forces;

(c) One or two years in the Volunteer Forces;

and in the case of the Permanent and Militia Forces, provided that he is still medically fit.

Soldiers of the Permanent Forces selected for duty at tropical stations who have less than two years to serve on their current engagements may be re-enlisted prior to transfer for a period of three years, such re-enlistment to take effect from termination of previous period of enlistment.

Commanding Officer, in the case of the Militia and Volunteer Forces, shall mean the Officer Commanding a squadron, battery, or company.”

Regulation 284 is cancelled, and the following substituted therefor:—

“284. Officers, warrant officers, and non-commissioned officers of the Administrative and Instructional Staff, including Military Staff clerks, serving under a District Commandant, or other officer, who may be appointed by the Military Board to command any portion thereof, constitute a Corps, and such District Commandant, or any officer not below the rank of captain whom such District Commandant shall appoint, or such other officer as aforesaid, as the case may be, shall be the Officer Commanding such Corps for the purposes of discipline, but for appointment, promotion, and transfer from one Military District to another, such officers, warrant officers, and non-commissioned officers are under the administration of the Adjutant-General.”

Regulation 516.—The portion of paragraph (a), which reads as follows: —

“(a) Active members shall consist of those who undertake to serve in the Reserve Forces, and shall include those members granted commissions in the Reserve Forces under the provisions of Regulation 514a. Persons exempt from service is time of war under Section 61 (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of the Defence Act 1903-1912 may become active members without undertaking to serve in the Reserve Forces.”

is cancelled, and the following substituted therefor:—

“(a) Active members shall consist of those who undertake to serve in the Reserve Forces, and shall include those members granted commissions in the Reserve Forces under the provisions of Regulation 514a. Persons exempt from service in time of war under Section 61 (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of the Defence Act 1903-1912 and members of the British Army Reserve may become active members without undertaking to serve in the Reserve Forces.

“Regulation 518.—The portion of Regulation 518, which reads:—

“518. Every person who is accepted as an active member of a Rifle Club, with the exception of members of the Police Force,

shall take and subscribe before on officer, a justice of the peace, or the Captain of the Club, the oath of allegiance or affirmation as set forth hereunder,”

is cancelled, and the following substituted therefor:—

“518. Every person who is accepted as an active number of a Rifle Club, with the exception of those persons exempt from service in time of war under section 61 (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of the Defence Act 1903-1912, and members of the British Army Reserve, shall take and subscribe before an officer, a justice of the peace, or the Captain of the Club, the oath of allegiance or affirmation as set forth hereunder.”

Regulation 562 is cancelled and the following substituted therefor:—

“The general safety precautions to be observed in connexion with Artillery Practice on Sea Fronts shall, subject to the next paragraph of this Regulation, be those prescribed in ‘Instructions for Practice Seawards, Royal Garrison Artillery,’ published annually.

“For the purpose of section 72 of the Act, a ship, boat, or person shall be deemed to have come or remained within the prescribed distance of a battery, or gun, engaged in artillery practice, if it or he comes or remains within the following areas:—

“For all Defended Ports, with the exception of Port Jackson, a rectangular area measuring in length 11,000 yards from the battery or gun engaged in practice, in the direction of the line of fire, and in breadth 2 miles, being 1 mile on each side of the line of fire.

“For Port Jackson, the area will be a rectangular area measuring in length 15,000 yards from the battery or gun engaged in practice, in the direction of the line of fire, and in breadth 2 miles, being 1 mile on each side of the line of fire.”

Similarly the general arrangements for the safety of Artillery Practice on Land Ranges shall be those prescribed in “Instructions for Practice, Horse, Field and Heavy Artillery” also published annually.

District Commandants are responsible for the issue of any detailed instructions for carrying out the principles of these instructions, and also that notices of times and dates of practice are published beforehand, and that such notices state the distances, in accordance with the practice to be carried out, at which ships, boats, or persons must keep.

It is the duty of the officer superintending the practice to satisfy himself that all precautions for safety have been carried out, and that all necessary steps are taken to, as for as possible, prevent misunderstanding or accident,

For the purpose of section 72 of the Act, a person shall be deemed to have come or remained within the prescribed distance of a battery or gun engaged in artillery practice, if he comes or remains within a rectangular area measuring in length 8,000 yards from the battery or gun engaged in practice, in the direction of the line of fire, and in breadth 4,000 yards, being 2,000 yards on each side of the line of fire.

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Printed and published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.